Combination dry and steam flatiron



June 19, 1956 w. H. TANGEMAN COMBINATION DRY AND STEAM FLATIRON Filed Jan. 2l, 1954 Inventor: WiHiam H. Tangeman, by 2W (0 His Attorney.

United States Patent O COMBINATION DRY AND STEAM FLATIRON Wiiliam H. Tangeman, Ontario, Calif., as signor tol-Genieral Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application January 21, 1954, Serial No. 405,369

2 Claims. (Cl. 38--77) The present invention relates to electric' flatirons of the type which are so constructed that they may be used either as a dry atiron or as a steam flatiron. It is especially well adapted for use in small flatirons such as the so-termed travel liatirons although it is not limited necessarily to atirons of this type. Also it is well adapted for use in fiatrons having a pivoted handle whereby the handle may be folded down on top of the flatiron body for packing.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved electric flatiron which may be used as a dry flatiron and in combination therewith simple and inexpensive means for supplying water to it whereby it may be used as a steam flatiron.

According to the invention a flatiron is provided at its forward end, i. e. in spaced relation to the heel of the flatiron, with a steam chamber in which steam is generated for steam ironing and water is supplied to the steam chamber by means of a water reservoir which is in the form of a drawer which slides into a pocket at the rear end of the atiron body, the forward or inner end of the reservoir having a filling and discharge spout which when the reservoir is mounted in the pocket makes watertight connection with an opening which connects with the steam chamber. Means is provided which defines a metering orifice through which water fiows from the reservoir to the steam chamber. Preferably, the arrangement is such that when the reservoir is in the pocket, its bottom Wall is spaced from the soleplate to minimize the transfer of heat from the soleplate to the water in the reservoir; and if desired a handle on the outer end of the reservoir may form with the rear corner of the flatiron handle a heel rest on which the flatiron may be upended, although preferably the rear end of the flatiron cover is used as a part of the heel rest, this being a usual construction.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a flatiron embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the flatiron body, a portion of the fiatiron body cover being broken away.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a flatiron soleplate which may be heated by a suitable resistance unit embedded therein in the well-known manner. The outline of the heating unit is indicated at 2 and its terminals are indicated at 3. Attached to the soleplate by suitable means (not shown) is a cover 4 and attached to the cover at the rear end of the flatiron is a handle 5. The handle, in the case of a travel atiron, may to advantage be pivoted on the cover whereby when the iatiron is to be packed the handle may be positioned down against the top surface of the cover. Such struetures are known; and since a specific handle pivoting arrangement forms no part of the present invention one has been indicated only generally. In the present instance the handle is shown as being pivoted as indicated at 6 on a pair of ears 7 which are attached to cover 4. 8 indicates a spring latch fixed to cover 4 for holding the handle in its up or ironing position. The latch may be pressed inwardly to release the handle to permit of "ice the handle being folded down against the top wall of cover 4.

The' structure so far described is shown only by way of example. It is to be taken as representing and as 'typical of any suitable electric iiatiron structure. My invention has to do with means whereby the flatiron is adapted for use as a steam flatiron.

Within the flatiron body toward the front end thereof are walls which define a steam chamber 10 to which water is supplied when the flatiron is to be used for steam ironing. Steam chamber 10 is formed by cavities in the top surface of the soleplate over which a cover plate 11 is fastened by screws 12. In the soleplate at its forward end are ports (not shown) through which steam generated in the steam chamber is discharged against the surface to be ironed. insofar as my invention is concerned, any suitable arrangement of passages and ports may be used for conveying steam from the steam chamber to the surface being ironed. Suitable arrangements are known and for this reason do not require specific illustration and description.

At the rear end of the steam chamber are walls 15 which define an opening 16 through which water may be supplied to the steam chamber. In the present instance walls 15 are shown as being formed integral with steam chamber cover plate 11.

Water is supplied to steam chamber 10 by a reservoir 17 which fits in a pocket 1S at the rear end of the fiatiron body. The rear portion of the pocket has side walls 19 dened by inturned Walls which form a part of cover 4 and serve as guides for the reservoir. The pocket is open at its rear end. At the inner end of reservoir 17 is a filling and discharge spout 20 which tits in opening 16, the surrounding wall of the opening being provided with a suitable packing 21 to prevent leakage. The outer end of opening 16 may be beveled to assist in guiding spout 20 into the opening. In spout 20 is a screw plug 22 provided with a meter orifice 23 through which water flows from the reservoir to the steam chamber. At the inner top corner of the reservoir is an air vent 24 through which air may enter the reservoir to replace the water flowing out.

Cover 4 at its rear end projects beyond rear end 25 of the soleplate and the space left is closed by a plate 26 fastened to the soleplate by screws 27. Attached to the outer or rear end of reservoir 17 by a bolt 23 is a handle 29 formed from suitable heat resistant material. It is of a width equal approximately to that of the reservoir and has a fiat bottom surface which when the reservoir is in the pocket is supported on plate 26, the reservoir being thus supported at its outer end on plate 26; held between walls 19 in a transverse direction, and supported at its inner end in opening 16. The rear end of cover 4 on each side of handle 29 projects beyond the rear end of handle 29 and with the top rear corner 30 of handle 5 forms a heel rest upon which the flatiron may be upended. At 31 is indicated an opening in the handle for the passage of an electric cord.

The flatiron may or may not be provided with a thermostat for regulating its temperature as is found desirable. A thermostat has not been illustrated nor has the electric wiring for the flatiron as structures and arrangements of such parts are well-known and form no part of the present invention. lt will be understood that the liatiron will be suitably wired, the wiring including the thermostat if one is embodied in the structure.

When there is no water in the reservoir the flatiron may be used as a dry flatiron.

When it is desired to use the flatiron as a steam flatiron, reservoir 17 is pulled out of pocket 1S by means of handle 29, plug 22 removed, the reservoir filled with water and the plug replaced. The reservoir is then slid back into the pocket to the position shown in Fig. 1, it being guided by pocket side walls 19. The fiatiron is then ready for steam ironing. When being so used water Hows from the reservoir through metering orice 23 to the steam chamber where it is ilashed into steam, the steam then being fed to the surface being ironed through the soleplate orices provided for that purpose. At any time the ow of water may be stopped by upending the atiron on its heel rest.

If, while being used for steam ironing, the water in the reservoir is all used, the reservoir can be quickly and easily refilled by removing it from the ilatiron pocket, again filling it, and then replacing it in the pocket; and, when the ironing is completed, any water left in thc reservoir can be disposed of by again removing the reservoir, emptying it, and then replacing it in the pocket.

By my invention I provide a steam Flatiron which is simple in structure, convenient to use and capable of being manufactured at low cost. By arranging the reservoir in a pocket at the rear end of the atiron I add little if anything to the overall dimensions of the fiatiron, a thing of especial importance in a travel" fiatiron. Also, the invention has the advantage that while the reservoir is a separate part removable from the atiron body it may at all times be left in the pocket cxcept when being lled or emptied. Thus, it does not represent an extra part which must be separately packed or disposed of when, as in the case of a traveY' flatiron, the atiron is being packed for carrying.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a latiron, a ilatiron body comprising a soleplate and a cover, walls in the body which dene a steam Chamber therein, said steam chamber having a rear wardly facing opening, walls which define a pocket in the body at the rear of the steam chamber, said pocket having an open rear end, a Water reservoir in the pocket which is adapted to be removed from and replaced in the pocket by being slid through the open rear end of the pocket, and means at the inner end of the reservoir for connection with said opening for supplying water from the reservoir to the steam chamber.

2. The combination defined by claim l wherein walls integral with said cover form side walls of the pocket and serve as guide means for the reservoir when it is being inserted into the pocket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,432,205 Morton Dec. 9, 1947 2,620,576 Stevenson et al. Dec. 9, [952 2,680,312 Parr June 8, 1954 

